Textile material



Patented Sept. 22, 1942- OFFICE TEXTILE MATERIAL Cyril M. Croft, Cumberland, Md., assignor to Celanese Corporation of America, a corporation of Delaware No Drawing. Application July 23, 1940, Serial No. 346,990

4 Claims.

This invention relates to the dyeing of fabrics, and relates more particularly to the coloration of stiffened fabrics containing yarns and fibers of organic derivatives of cellulose.

An object of this invention is to obtain novel decorative effects in fabrics made of or containing organic derivatives of cellulose.

Another object of this invention is the 1 dyeing of fabrics made of or containing yarns and fibers of organic derivatives of cellulose which have been treated with plasticizing agents dissolved in solvents, softening or swelling agents to obtain novel effects.

Still another object of this invention is the dyeing of a stiffened fabric, such as taffeta, made of or containing organic derivative of cellulose yarns or fibers to obtain various novel effects.

that the fabric presents an unusual marbled or U mottled pattern in varying shades of the color with which the fabric is dyed. While these novel effects are achieved in the dyeing of various types of stiffened fabrics, my novel process is especially applicable in the dyeing of closely woven fabrics such as taffetas and satins.

The fabrics made in whole or in part of yarns and fibers of organic derivatives of cellulose may be plasticized and stiffened by treatment with solutions of plasticizers in various organic'liquids which exert a softening. swelling or solvent action on the organic derivatives of cellulose in the fabric. The liquids may be applied to the fabrics by means of suitable furnishing devices. The fabric is then passed through quetch rollers to remove excess liquid and dried by passing it to a drying tower where it is dried by heated air. The air may be heated to temperatures of about 100 C. but higher and lower temperatures are also suitable. This treatment yields a plasticized' fabric which is much stiffer than it was prior to treatment. The liquid mixtures containing a plasticizer may also be applied to the fabric by spraying, dipping, padding, by passing the fabric through vapors of the sol-vent liquid or in any ganic derivatives of cellulose present in the fabricother manner suitable for applying the liquid in the desired amount and at the desired Places on the fabric.

Examples of organic liquids which exert this" softening or swelling effect are such compounds are ethylene dichloride, acetone, acetone mixed with ethyl or methyl alcohol, chloroform. ethylene dichloride mixed with ethyl or methyl alcohol, diacetone alcohol, water-soluble alcohols such as methyl, ethyl or isopropyl alcohol, or esters such as ethyl lactate. Any suitable plasticizer for organic derivatives of cellulose may be employed as, for example, the monoethyl ethers of ethylene glycol phthalate, the dimethyl ether of ethylene glycol phthalat'e, triethylene, glycol, tr'iacetin, ethyl toluene sulfonamide, tri'phenyl phosphate, tricresyl phosphate, diethyl phthalate, dimethoxy ethyl phthalate and dibutyl tartrate.

The degree of stiffness which is obtained may be modified by varying the time during which the solvent or softening agent containing the plasticizer is permitted to act on the fabric, varying the temperature at which the stiffening action is carried out or varying the concentration of the solvent liquid by diluting it with other liquids which exert little or no solvent effect on the orwhich is being treatedi Such diluents as water, carbon tetrachloride, or benzene are suitable.

In order further to illustrate my invention, but without being limited thereto, the following examples are given:

Example I A cellulose acetate fabric of a taffeta weave is stiffened and plasticized by passing the full width continuously through a bath made up of 30 parts by weight of the phthalate of ethylene glycol monoethyl ether, 65 parts by weight of ethyl alcohol and 5 parts by weight of acetone maintained at room temperature. The treated fabric is passed through quetch rollers to remove excess liquid and is then dried by passing it to a drying tower. The dried fabric is then dyed on a winch in a crushed form by passing it through a dye bath at 80 C. containing 0.25 gram per liter of soda ash, 0.5 gram per liter of soap, 3 cc. per liter of Celascour" (a mixture of sulfonated castor oil, xylene and water) and 0.5 gram per liter of 1:4-dimethy1amino anthraquinone. After being passed through the -dye bath for approximately 30 minutes the dyed fabric is rinsed in water at deeper shade has occurred at the crushed portions of the fabric, the result being a random mottled pattern of a darker blue over the entire width of the fabric which has in turn been dyed a lighter shade of blue. v

Example I] A cellulose acetate fabric of satin weave is stiffened and plasticized by passing the fabric through a bath containing 50 parts by weight of ethyl alcohol and 50 parts by weight of dimethyl phthalate. The bath is maintained at about room temperature. The treated fabric is dried as in Example I and is then dyed on a winch in a crushed form with a dye bath maintained at 80 C. and containing 0.1 gram per liter of 1-oxy-4-amino anthraquinone, 0.25 gram per liter of soda ash, 0.5 gram per liter of soap and 3 cc. per liter of "Celascour. The fabric is passed through the dye bath for about 30 minutes, the dyed fabric rinsed in water at 50 C. and the fabric finally rinsed in cold water. The fabric which has been dyed pink shows a contrasting mottled pattern of darker lpink at the crushed portion of the fabric.

Fabrics which have been stiffened and dyed in 'It is to be understood that the foregoing detailed description is given merely by way of iilustration and that many variations may be made therein without departing from the spirit of my invention.

Having described my invention, what I desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

this manner find extensive use where a somewhat stiff yet flexible fabric of novel appearance is desired. Since the fabric may be dyed any desired color with numerous dyestuffs well-known for their suitability in the dyeing of organic derivative of cellulose materials, these stiffened fabrics find a variety of uses. They may be used as stiifeners in articles of apparel to aid such articles to retain their shape, for the fabrication of decorative objects such as artificial flowers, lainpshades, etc-., or in the manufacture of any other articles where these novel, colorful and stiffened fabrics are desired.

While my invention has been described in connection with. a fabric made of cellulose acetate yarns, it is pointed out that the process is applicable to fabrics made of or containing yarns of other organic derivatives of cellulose such as organic esters and ethers of cellulose. Examples of organic esters of cellulose are cellulose acetate,

cellulose propionate, cellulose butyrate and mixed esters such as cellulose acetate-propionate, while suitable cellulose ethers are ethyl cellulose, methyl 1. Process for the production of mottled effects on fabrics containing yarns or fibers of organic derivatives of cellulose, which comprises stiffening and plasticizing the fabric by treating it with a solution of a plasticizer in a solvent or softening agent for said organic derivatives of cellulose, drying the fabric and then dyeing the stiffened fabric under such conditions that it is crushed during the course of the dyeing operation.

2. Process for' the production of mottled effects on fabrics containing yarns or fibers-of cellulose,

acetate, which comprises stiffening and plasticizing the fabric by treating it with a solution of a plasticizer in asolvent or softening agent for the cellulose acetate, drying the fabric and then dyeing the stiffened fabric under such conditions that it is crushed during the course of the dyeing operation.

3. Process for the production of mottled effects on fabrics containing yarns or fibers of cellulose acetate, which comprises stiffening and plasticizing the fabric by treating it with a solution of the monoethyl ether of ethylene glycol'phthalate in ethyl alcohol and acetone, drying the fabric and then dyeing the stiffened fabric under such conditions that it is crushed during the course of the dyeing operation..

4. Process for the production of mottled effects on fabrics containing yarns or fibers of cellulose acetate, which comprises stifiening and plasticizing the fabric by treating it with a. solution of dimethyl phthalate in ethyl alcohol, drying the fabric and then dyeing the stiflened fabric under such conditions that it is crushed during the course of the dyeing operation.

- CYRIL M. CROFT. 

